Royals Rally. Win Game 5, Take World Series Crown

Photo: ESPN

The Kansas City Royals were a resilient bunch throughout the postseason. They proved it again on Sunday night, as they rallied from 2-0 down to force extra innings and scored five runs in the top of the 12th to beat the Mets 7-2 and win their first World Series title since 1985.

New York's Matt Harvey pitched eight strong innings, and came back out for the top of the ninth. After walking Larenzo Cain to start the inning, Cain stole second. Eric Hosmer followed that with a double to bring Cain home to cut the Mets lead in half. Collins then pulled Harvey and brought in Jeurys Familia to try and close it out.

Moustakas grounded out to first base for the first out, advancing Hosmer to third. Salvador Perez came up and grounded out to first, and Hosmer gambled and went home. An errant throw by Lucas Duda to home plate was off the mark as Hosmer scored, tying the game 2-2. The Mets went in order in the bottom of the ninth, and it moved into extras.

In the top of the 12th, Perez reached on a leadoff single. Jarrod Dyson came in to run for Perez. He stole second, putting himself in scoring position with Christian Colon pinch-hitting for pitcher Luke Hochevar, Colon singled to left, scoring Dyson, as the Royals went up 3-2. Following that, the floodgates opened for Kansas City.

An error by Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy out two runners on for the Royals.  Alcides Escobar hit a double to left field, scoring Colon to make it 4-2. After intentionally walking Ben Zobrist to load the bases in an effort to set up a double play, Lorenzo Cain ripped a double deep to center, clearing the bases to put Kansas City up 7-2.

The World Series title is the second in Kansas City Royals history. The first one came back in 1985, when they beat their cross-state neighbor, the St. Louis Cardinals, in seven games.

Salvador Perez was named the World Series MVP.